The Agents of Change Digital Marketing Podcast

Pinterest is the typically underutilized social platform that's quickly gaining momentum. When you look at things it has over other social platforms – longevity of content visibility, inexpensive – it's a no-brainer for businesses, especially those with tight marketing budgets. Peg Fitzpatrick teaches us how to make Pinterest work for small businesses by helping us build relationships with influencers, creating different boards to highlight multiple facets of our brand, how to use enticing text and photos, and how to promote our events using Pinterest. www.theagentsofchange.com/199

If you think Pinterest is only for DIY-ers and the wedding industry, then you're missing out. Pinterest is the underdog that is constantly proving itself as a valuable marketing tool for all kinds of businesses. Not only is it good for businesses with limited marketing budgets, it has much more of a "set it and forget it" mentality than other social channels that need constant babysitting and attention in order to maximize their potential. With little effort, you can use Pinterest to highlight your company's work, link back to your blog or website, and promote not only your own content, but other valuable curated content as well. And remember, Pinterest pins also show up in Google searches now. http://www.agentsofchangecon.com/198

You can't be everywhere at once, but wouldn't it be nice if we could clone ourselves? Well, now you can…kinda. Using technology to interact with your customers via chatbots is the next big wave for businesses – large and small – to ride. Chatbot tools are now making it easier than ever to build a custom bot to interact with your Facebook clients 24/7 by answering FAQ's and even using some of the lingo and personality that associates directly with your brand that people have become familiar with. http://www.theagentsofchange.com/197

Customarily, the way businesses generally go about things is to pump out large amounts of content through multiple channels - social media, email, paid advertising – and hope that does the trick. Then they might retarget those that didn't bit the first time, including offering a few different low dollar purchase options before finally converting all of that effort into a few sales. But by reversing that sales funnel and simplifying it down to just 3 easy steps, you can convert even cold traffic with less work and less risk, and increase your customer's lifetime value. Essentially you're beginning with the end of your sales funnel and optimizing that by cutting out the middle man, which is faster and more cost effective for your business. www.theagentsofchange.com/196

Instagram Stories is the new kid on the block, a great new tool that individuals and businesses alike can use to engage in a more personal and authentic way with their audience. And here's the thing…it disappears after 24 hours. If you're a business looking for a creative outlet to connect with your audience, Instagram Stories gives you the ability to do things like show your product in action, tease for an upcoming conference or podcast, give a glimpse "behind the scenes", and so much more. Sue B. Zimmerman - the "Insta Expert" - is here to teach us all the ninja tips and tricks to help us harness the full power and potential of all that Instagram has to offer us. www.theagentsofchange.com/195

We all know the importance of reaching the right audience, but what about getting a little help doing that. As the saying goes, "it's all about who you know", and there is a lot of truth in that. So why not find some influential people to help us get the word out about our products and services to reach an even wider audience? Amir Zonozi teaches us a thing or two about the different kinds of influencers, which ones are better poised to help us, and how we can form a working relationship with them.

Do you really know who your customers are? Is the information you have based on data supported facts or assumptions? If your assumptions are off the mark, then you're straying from who your customer really is and what they care about. By spending just a minimal amount of time doing some basic research and perhaps even interviewing a handful of your customers - past and present – to find out why they came to you and how you can make the process easier for both of you, you can reap the rewards of your diligence with a ROI that pays out in more customers and sales for your business. www.theagentsofchange.com/193

Like many business owners and entrepreneurs you're probably always searching for a new and creative way to get content out to your audience. Have you considered podcasting? Podcasting is a great way to serve up actionable items and valuable information to your audience without necessarily having to write out content in the way you would a blog post. Podcasts allow for infinite creativity in how you go about it, and it's not expensive or that daunting of an undertaking. Plus, a podcast can give you and your business credibility while also allowing your audience another way - besides reading it - to enjoy and consume your content. www.theagentsofchange.com/192

With worldwide ecommerce showing rapid growth, there's no better time to think about expanding your business to include online sales. An ecommerce model can be an excellent choice for entrepreneurs or small businesses looking to diversify or expand. The most obvious advantage is the ability to earn money when normal brick and mortar shops are closed. But making sure you have a solid strategy and marketing plan in place – as well as the right software to accommodate all of your needs – will be the key to not only getting up and running, but as to how successful you become. www.theagentsofchange.com/191

Twitter chats offer a great way to gain exposure, build and audience and engage your followers, regardless of whether you're participating or hosting. Don't be intimidated, instead look at it as a creative way to either establish authority for your brand as a host, or network and connect with others as a participant, all without having to do the dreaded cold outreach process. www.theagentsofchange.com/190